The invention relates to an operator control unit for operating a machine tool, a production machine, a crane and/or a robot. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for assigning an on-screen display to a softkey button in an operator control unit for operating a machine tool, a production machine, a crane and/or a robot.
Nothing in the following discussion of the state of the art is to be construed as an admission of prior art.
Machine tools, production machines, cranes and/or robots are customarily operated using operator control units that have suitable operating buttons. What are known as softkey buttons are increasingly being used in this case. A softkey button denotes a button that performs different functions depending on an on-screen display shown on a screen of the operator control unit.
Softkey buttons in an operator control unit for operating a machine tool, a production machine, a crane and/or a robot are customarily assigned by means of complex changes to configuration files or via complex, a long-winded sequence of additional operating dialog screens.
In commercially available operator control units, if an operator wishes to execute a particular control action, at present he must often perform a protracted procedure of frequently pressing the softkey buttons repeatedly to select menus and associated submenus before he can execute an operating function associated with a particular on-screen display.
It would be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved to obviate prior art shortcomings and to provide straightforward assignment of an on-screen display to a softkey button in an operator control unit for operating a machine tool, a production machine, a crane and/or a robot.